Ford Freestyle Premieres in India (Coverage: Pg.4)
- Thread Starter gaddambhargavareddy
- Start date
While the changes required for BSVI for petrol cars are minimal with many of their values already being pretty low, there are many BSIV engines which may not make it to BSVI emission levels with additions or modifications. Diesels definitely would be affected more, especially as the most popular diesel engine in the country, the Fiat Multijet 1.3 , which is used in all Maruti diesels, in Fiat diesels and some of the Tata cars would not make it to BSVI. A Multijet III version is available in EU, but that would mean more licensing for Maruti and Tata , and with Fiat already packing its bags in India I don't think we may have a Multijet III. Maruti is working on an in house diesel engine which is expected to be BSVI ready (can be made BSVI with minimal modifications) but it has not been ready yet. It was expected to come with the new Ciaz, and then the new Ertiga, but it has not got launch ready yet.
The new Tata engines are also BSVI ready, however, we may see many diesels being discontinued or moving to different engines.
I dont think there will be any immediate impact on the present users of BSIV petrols and diesels, but in the long term, with the recent sentiment , Diesels are not a great decision for long term.
The new Tata engines are also BSVI ready, however, we may see many diesels being discontinued or moving to different engines.
I dont think there will be any immediate impact on the present users of BSIV petrols and diesels, but in the long term, with the recent sentiment , Diesels are not a great decision for long term.
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I guess the most important factor would be the cost of upgradatuon. While it may take about 8-10 rupees for a petrol to be BSVI compliant, the diesel engines may need substantial cost upgrade to the tune of 70-80000 rupees more per car. This would make diesel engines less attractive for someone with low running and smaller turbo petrol may replace diesel variants. The difference between petrol and diesel models cohpe be 1.75 lakh to 2.00 lakhs. Volkswagen would stop selling current 1.5 diesel on polo and Ben to and only the 2.0 liter offered on SuV range may be available.
Thanks. What happens to the current Ford's 1.5 TDCi? Will the diesel BS IV engine life be affected if we use BS VI fuel?
The shuddering is back again in my petrol when I release the clutch pedal at 1st and 2nd gear though I am very gentle with the use. Seems like the clutch master cylinder issue again. I am not confident of the service here. Can you please share your FNG details? I have PM'ed you; please help.
The shuddering is back again in my petrol when I release the clutch pedal at 1st and 2nd gear though I am very gentle with the use. Seems like the clutch master cylinder issue again. I am not confident of the service here. Can you please share your FNG details? I have PM'ed you; please help.
Are you sure you are not mistaking the i3 engine vibration with that of the clutch , the new Ford Dragon petrol engines have some vibration felt on steering and clutch between 800-1200 rpm. I ve boticed it while I took drive on it as well,
Yes I felt that too during the test drives and also present in my car from day one. This is different; jerkiness noticeable beyond 1200 rpm as well. The biggest concern is that radiator runs every time when I am about to park the car every day. Is this normal? I find unusual. Is the under sump protection hurting the airflow? The engine temp looks fine and stays in the middle most of the time.
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Yes. The fan will will run when you come to stop a bit more than in other cars I have driven. It is there in Diesel also, that's how they have programmed. Why don't you try change clutch pedal switch and try at FNG. The clutch pedal switch may cost just 200 to 250 Rs. You can try lift a switch from Figo, fiesta or Ecosport of your friends old car and swap it as trial. The process may take just fee mins.
As regard to BS IV diesel cars, they will benefit from EURO VI diesel in pollution front as sulphur content will get reduced from 50ppm on EURO IV to 10ppm on EURO VI. The only issue could be of diesel losing some energy content during this reduction process of sulphur. EURO IV cars on EURO VI fuel could return slightly less FE on diesel. Another factor is loss of lubricity of diesel, which would be compensated by refiners in form of additives. So, price of EURO VI diesel may go up and cost slightly more than petrol even with current favourable tax structure for Diesel vis-a-vis petrol.
As regard to BS IV diesel cars, they will benefit from EURO VI diesel in pollution front as sulphur content will get reduced from 50ppm on EURO IV to 10ppm on EURO VI. The only issue could be of diesel losing some energy content during this reduction process of sulphur. EURO IV cars on EURO VI fuel could return slightly less FE on diesel. Another factor is loss of lubricity of diesel, which would be compensated by refiners in form of additives. So, price of EURO VI diesel may go up and cost slightly more than petrol even with current favourable tax structure for Diesel vis-a-vis petrol.
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Thanks. I am keeping an eye on the coolant usage as well. The service folks here have no clue of the radiator kicking in often and they constantly deny that there is no such clutch pedal switch in this car! Please share your FNG details if possible. I am planning to visit salem soon; I will get it checked.
FNG I use is in Erode. You are more than welcome. We will try sort out the issue. A few of my Friends Global Fiesta come from Bangalore for service here. I'll PM my no to you.
Video: Ford Figo Sports and Aspire Sports Edition - Autodevot
Here is a review on Figo S I find with a mention of secondary clutch switch instead of one on regular Figo to aid in antistall.
Video: Ford Figo Sports and Aspire Sports Edition - Autodevot
Here is a review on Figo S I find with a mention of secondary clutch switch instead of one on regular Figo to aid in antistall.
There is a mention of this clutch switch in the other forum. I am facing the same problem which is severe in my case at times. Now I am getting an electrical noise in the engine start/stop button once the car is cranked.
The Ford Freestyle. EDIT: Launched @ Rs. 5.09 lakhs - Team-BHP
The Ford Freestyle. EDIT: Launched @ Rs. 5.09 lakhs - Team-BHP
Quoting verbatim:-
"We did notice a strange behaviour in the engine.
When trying to take a U Turn we started accelerating and then had to halt to let a vehicle by (buses don't really care about anyone else).
After the halt we observed that the engine was alternating between idle and 1200 rpm sort of like you would keep revving a 2 stroke bike to keep it from stalling when stationary. We pointed this out to the showroom guys who said they'll get it checked because the variation was exactly like someone revving the engine and letting off the accelerator ( sort of like vroom.... vroom....) .
That sounds like the clutch switch which increases the revs when releasing the clutch pedal to avoid stalling the engine.
At times it goes bonkers and keeps revving the engine even when the pedal is fully depressed.
You need to shift to neutral and take the foot off the clutch pedal to bring down the rpm. And many a times it kicks in late for me to reveal an unpleasant resonating vibration, still not able to find from where."
The Ford Freestyle. EDIT: Launched @ Rs. 5.09 lakhs - Team-BHP
The Ford Freestyle. EDIT: Launched @ Rs. 5.09 lakhs - Team-BHP
Quoting verbatim:-
"We did notice a strange behaviour in the engine.
When trying to take a U Turn we started accelerating and then had to halt to let a vehicle by (buses don't really care about anyone else).
After the halt we observed that the engine was alternating between idle and 1200 rpm sort of like you would keep revving a 2 stroke bike to keep it from stalling when stationary. We pointed this out to the showroom guys who said they'll get it checked because the variation was exactly like someone revving the engine and letting off the accelerator ( sort of like vroom.... vroom....) .
That sounds like the clutch switch which increases the revs when releasing the clutch pedal to avoid stalling the engine.
At times it goes bonkers and keeps revving the engine even when the pedal is fully depressed.
You need to shift to neutral and take the foot off the clutch pedal to bring down the rpm. And many a times it kicks in late for me to reveal an unpleasant resonating vibration, still not able to find from where."
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Oh. The car is programmed to let more fuel and air to prevent the engine from stalling when driven in half clutch than the driver is giving input on the throttle. This clutch position is relayed to the ecu in the form of electronic signal that activates when depressing the clutch. There will be two switches on Titanium and titanium plus. One for the ignition, when fully depressed, it sends current to the ignition switch to start the car and the other for half position of clutch for ecu to increase the throttle when driven in half clutch. In my car, when I try move with half clutch, the engine will fluctuate rpm to prevent it from stalling. I have the habit of slowly lifting the clutch before any throttle input and I'm used to it. A wild fluctuation is caused by incorrect signal sent from clutch switch, at times the problem could even be a loose switch! A simple remove and refit could also be a fix.
I faced a similar problem in our previous all new Fiesta the one we had before Global Fiesta. When I tried move the car from stationed, that car would jerk and vibrate until 2000 rpm however careful i was in releasing the clutch and once beyond there will be no issues. I took to Ford ASS 3 times and they couldn't fix it. We even changed the clutch and no help. Later, we just changed the clutch switch at our FNG and the car ran fine. My problem with Ford ASS is their inability to diagnose a problem that keeps me away from trusting them even with a new car. I'll rather forego my warranty than to invite unwanted hassles with them.
I faced a similar problem in our previous all new Fiesta the one we had before Global Fiesta. When I tried move the car from stationed, that car would jerk and vibrate until 2000 rpm however careful i was in releasing the clutch and once beyond there will be no issues. I took to Ford ASS 3 times and they couldn't fix it. We even changed the clutch and no help. Later, we just changed the clutch switch at our FNG and the car ran fine. My problem with Ford ASS is their inability to diagnose a problem that keeps me away from trusting them even with a new car. I'll rather forego my warranty than to invite unwanted hassles with them.
I made an interesting and much awaited (by me!) change to the suspension setup of my Freestyle. Ever since, I took delivery of my Freestyle, I was perturbed by my decision to go for Freestyle instead of S. The suspension setup of other 2 cars I drive, Global Fiesta and Fiesta 1.6S, have made me demand more out of cars in every corner and every twist on road I encounter. I loved the way my cars would parralelly slide between slow trucks while overtaking and loved the way they behaved to sudden direction changes and control they offered when driven spirited. The freestyle has an interesting setup. Though it offers enough fun when driven hard, the suspension just throws you from side to side making it difficult to live with on rural uneven roads. On bad roads it is simply fantastic. I really wanted to change the behaviour of the car to suit my driving. For the first 10000 kms, my decision to go with Freestyle was thrown into disorder within my self and badly wanted a suspension change. Even change of tyres to 195/55 only helped a little.
I desperately tried after market lowering springs and compatible suspension with reputed names in modification market. But I could find none available for Ford Figo. I even contacted, Bilstein and provided axle loads to develop a suspension and bear cost! I checked with my FNG and after deliberating on the issue and careful inspection and study of components, we came to a conclusion to swap the suspension setup with a Figo S, the car I had in mind!
We ordered OE suspension of Figo S using a friends VIN. The front struts and springs along with link rod came soon. The rear shocks came 4 days later. The rear springs were in back order and took 45 days to arrive.
I was impatient to wait for rear springs of S to arrive, I changed front suspension setup of S and rear shockers and used a rear spring from regular Figo (from an accidental repair Taxi). The front setup bacame stable and just the rear not seemed right. Last week, the rear springs arrived to my delight and I immediately reached the FNG to change the rear coils.
The test drive afterward brought smiles to my face. The new setup is just perfect! I loved the way the car handled ( not in the league of 1.6S and Global Fiesta) but much better than the OE of Freestyle.
In my observations, here are the changes between Freestyle and Figo S;
1. The control arm for both are same. The link rods are also shared.
2. The coil springs of S is taller than Freestyle, I was thinking it could be shorter for reduced GC. When, closely observed, we found the thickness of the spring of S to be slightly thinner and have lesser spring tension. It just absorbs action better and seats the car lower.
3. The front struts of S had shorter cylinder and piston rod to match the springs that make car lower when seated.
4. The rear coils are slightly shorter than Freestyle but has much better action. The rear struts are shorter by 25mm in S than Freestyle.
I could notice the following after change of suspension to one of S.
1. The GC is lowered to 170 from 190 (196 on my upsized tyres).
2. The wheel arch is filled proportionately and looks good! The stance of the car has improved. Note - I already had the 195/55 tyres on S to my Freestyle.
3. The ride has improved in leaps and bounds. The Figo S Suspension is no way sporty! It is a good blend of ride and handling. One may note that the suspension on Figo S is a direct lift from European Ka standard car and not track tuned like 1.6S.
4. The steering feels much better with improved dynamics. I could attempt some passes that I was hesitant earlier.
5. The high speed stability has improved and I could easily increase my top speed by another 30kmph without a sweat. I don't wish to add videos but it recorded some insane speeds just cruising without any drama( on a deserted highway)!
6. The drag co-efficient is lower now due to lowered GC and improved NVH. The Wind noise at 100+ speeds are not an irritant any more.
7. Am improved mileage due to less drag. The car gave me 19kmpl yesterday on a tankful method after doing 380 kms in 3 hours 30 minutes with 50%national highway and 50% rural roads( was in a real hurry).
I am happy with this new setup. The total cost involved is just less than Rs.10000! Would you believe it!
I desperately tried after market lowering springs and compatible suspension with reputed names in modification market. But I could find none available for Ford Figo. I even contacted, Bilstein and provided axle loads to develop a suspension and bear cost! I checked with my FNG and after deliberating on the issue and careful inspection and study of components, we came to a conclusion to swap the suspension setup with a Figo S, the car I had in mind!
We ordered OE suspension of Figo S using a friends VIN. The front struts and springs along with link rod came soon. The rear shocks came 4 days later. The rear springs were in back order and took 45 days to arrive.
I was impatient to wait for rear springs of S to arrive, I changed front suspension setup of S and rear shockers and used a rear spring from regular Figo (from an accidental repair Taxi). The front setup bacame stable and just the rear not seemed right. Last week, the rear springs arrived to my delight and I immediately reached the FNG to change the rear coils.
The test drive afterward brought smiles to my face. The new setup is just perfect! I loved the way the car handled ( not in the league of 1.6S and Global Fiesta) but much better than the OE of Freestyle.
In my observations, here are the changes between Freestyle and Figo S;
1. The control arm for both are same. The link rods are also shared.
2. The coil springs of S is taller than Freestyle, I was thinking it could be shorter for reduced GC. When, closely observed, we found the thickness of the spring of S to be slightly thinner and have lesser spring tension. It just absorbs action better and seats the car lower.
3. The front struts of S had shorter cylinder and piston rod to match the springs that make car lower when seated.
4. The rear coils are slightly shorter than Freestyle but has much better action. The rear struts are shorter by 25mm in S than Freestyle.
I could notice the following after change of suspension to one of S.
1. The GC is lowered to 170 from 190 (196 on my upsized tyres).
2. The wheel arch is filled proportionately and looks good! The stance of the car has improved. Note - I already had the 195/55 tyres on S to my Freestyle.
3. The ride has improved in leaps and bounds. The Figo S Suspension is no way sporty! It is a good blend of ride and handling. One may note that the suspension on Figo S is a direct lift from European Ka standard car and not track tuned like 1.6S.
4. The steering feels much better with improved dynamics. I could attempt some passes that I was hesitant earlier.
5. The high speed stability has improved and I could easily increase my top speed by another 30kmph without a sweat. I don't wish to add videos but it recorded some insane speeds just cruising without any drama( on a deserted highway)!
6. The drag co-efficient is lower now due to lowered GC and improved NVH. The Wind noise at 100+ speeds are not an irritant any more.
7. Am improved mileage due to less drag. The car gave me 19kmpl yesterday on a tankful method after doing 380 kms in 3 hours 30 minutes with 50%national highway and 50% rural roads( was in a real hurry).
I am happy with this new setup. The total cost involved is just less than Rs.10000! Would you believe it!
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Hi F4frewin , i'm looking to replace my FIGO which had crossed 155k Kilometer. I'm considering Freestyle , New Aspire and 2015 Ford Fiesta. Since you also own Global Fiesta ,i guess you can throw some light on my confused situation.I do long distance commute to office from my home and cover nearly 3000 kilometer per month. I'm looking for quite , plaint ride with minimal fuss which will take sting out of my daily commute. I travel between Gobi to Coimbatore on well laid roads.I had three test drives in Freestyle still not yet convinced mainly due to darker interior with hideous brown dashboard. Is it advisable to buy global Fiesta instead of Freestyle , saving some cash and enjoy benefits of global product or get the latest product and live with some shortcoming in terms of NVH and handling.I also own 2011 Fiesta SXI (not the global one) , which i found has the perfect balance between ride and handling for my needs. Please also give me your rating on NVH , Quality of audio and ride w.r.t to Freestyle and Global Fiesta